Crimson and Gold
by Cute and Fluffy
Summary: Kagura finally wins her freedom from Naraku, but finds herself at a loss for what to do next. What happens then when her heart is suddenly stolen by another and the thief happens to be a taiyoukai with no idea of what to do with his own? Sessoumaru/Kagura
1. Prologue

**Crimson and Gold  
**

Cute and Fluffy

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**Standard Disclaimer:**

**ロ **I do not own Inu Yasha or any of the characters contained therein. This story is not for profit. The plot and any original characters I may create, however, are my own.

**ロ **This story is rated **T** for violence and language. The rating may be increased as the story progresses.

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**Prologue**

"It's the end, Naraku!" yelled Kagome as her arrow sped towards the hanyou, leaving a luminescent trail in its wake. Kagome's arrow and Inu Yasha's Kaze no Kizu struck him at the same time, once and for all ending his unholy exsistence. Sesshoumaru held back the urge to sigh as Naraku's body disintegrated into ash. It was finally over. His muscles trembled from exhaustion, although he managed to conceal it with practiced ease, as he clutched Toukijin in a death grip. With weary eyes he surveyed the battlefield before sliding Toukijin back into its sheath. It had played it's role for the time being.

Although they had ended Naraku's threat, they were not without casualties themselves. Kouga was severely wounded, and if Inu Yasha acted like his normal idiot self, he would be following Kikyou to Hell sooner than he realized. Sesshoumaru could already hear the Kagome's sobbing pleas to stay with her. Disgraceful…

He moved to the edge of the clearing where the ground wasn't as gory, his mind drifting off to the moment he had gotten involved in this mess. He remembered it clearly; the young miko had pleaded with him on her knees to help them. He had turned to leave when he had heard the tiniest sniffle. His sharp eyes picked out Rin hiding in the bushes, tears welling up in her eyes. With an unfamiliar pang in his heart he realized what would happen if he didn't help them. His stupid half-brother would fail and Naraku would be allowed the Shikon no Tama. Then how many more children would be orphaned? How many more Rins would have to suffer because of Naraku? Not that he really cared of course, but for her sake he would do what he could to prevent that.

A pained gasp shook him out of his reverie. His hand shot back to Tokijin before noticing Kagura lying broken and bloodied by the wood line. The wind youkai had one hand stretched out towards the woods, her fan torn and lying forgotten on the ground behind her and he realized suddenly that she was crawling away to die. Unsure why he was bothering, he marched over to her, forcing a grimace off his face at the smell. She reeked of death.

--

Kagura watched as a pair of feet entered her vision and forced herself to look up despite the pain to see who was standing before her. Her eyes trailed up and met Sesshoumaru's impassive face. She noticed with a slight smirk that even the great taiyoukai hadn't escaped unscathed. While he looked like he had just spent hours crawling through a brier and was bleeding heavily from a deep wound in his side she had no doubts he would be better than ever by the end of the week. Her wounds, on the other hand, were definitely fatal. As agony wracked her body, she couldn't help recalling the events that had brought her to this battlefield.

She had never lost her determination to escape Naraku, but as time passed and the fight against Inu Yasha and his miko had dragged on, her efforts had become increasingly desperate. Finally, driven to the point of despair, she had made one last desperate attempt to steal her heart away from him, willing to sacrifice her life for the sake of her freedom. And against all odds she had somehow succeeded.

She should have realized that her theft had been too easy, but she had been so caught up in the ecstasy of her triumph that she never saw the trap until the moment it's jaws closed around her. Naraku had simply grown tired of his rebellious incarnation and had been toying with her the way a cat toys with a trapped mouse before it devours it. What Naraku hadn't planned on was the ever docile Kanna's interference. Kanna had attacked Naraku, sacrificing her life for her sister incarnation, by allowing Kagura the time she needed to get away. But even as Kagura ran, tears blurring her vision, she could hear Kanna's screams of agony following her as Naraku took out his fury at Kagura's escape on Kanna's frail body. As the wind witch finally collapsed, unable to run any farther and with Kanna's cries still echoing in her ears, Kagura swore vengeance for Kanna's death.

She had immediately sought out Inu Yasha and his pack, knowing that outside of Inu Yasha's arrogant half-brother who had already refused her requests for help once before, they were her best chance of avenging her sister. They had reacted to her presence much the way she had suspected, with violence and a great deal of yelling on the hanyou's part. Fortunately, she had managed to stay alive long enough to convince them that she was there as an ally instead of one of Naraku's slaves. Still, things had been tense between her and the humans, and downright hostile between her and Inu Yasha, until the day the actual battle arrived. Much to her surprise, the young miko had actually managed to convince Sesshoumaru to lend his assistance to their cause and when she had seen their forces arrayed against Naraku she had known that Kanna's spirit was about to be able to rest in peace.

During the battle, however, she had seen Kouga being absorbed into Naraku's body. The idiot wolf had gotten too close to the hanyou and thus had fallen into one of the oldest tricks in the bastard's book. Thinking only of the debt she owed Kouga and his clan she had attacked Naraku in a desperate attempt to save the wolf. She had managed to save his life, thus repaying her debt to him, but not before Naraku had left her with a number of lethal wounds to remember him by. Wounds that pulsed sharply with each shuddered breath, bringing her back to the present.

Unsure of the taiyoukai's intentions and merely wanting to be left alone to die in peace, she lowered her head slowly until she was once more staring at Sesshoumaru's feet. "I'm finally free," she whispered through blood covered lips. "Free of Naraku, free of my debt to Kouga." She met his eyes once more. "Leave me alone, Sesshoumaru. I'd like to die with my freedom and dignity intact." She gasped again as another wave of pain wracked her body. With each breath she could feel her self slipping further away and knew it was just a matter of time until Death came to claim her.

Suddenly she started painfully as she felt a slight pressure in her palm. Sesshoumaru had picked up her discarded fan and was gently pressing her fan into her hand. With a small gasp at the uncharacteristic act of compassion by the stoic taiyoukai she realized that she really wasn't ready to die. What she had told Sesshoumaru was true; she really was free. With no small amount of despair, she realized that she had finally achieved her dream only to have it ripped away from her before she had the chance to truly enjoy it. Tears came unbidden to her eyes, and despite her futile attempts to hide her weakness from the elder taiyoukai, sobs began to shake her dying body.

Again, the taiyoukai surprised her, crouching down in the blood and gore and dirt that covered the field to offer her what little solace he could give her with his presence in her final moments. At the very least, she wouldn't have to die alone.

"I don't want to die," she murmured as she felt death's icy grip tighten on her soul. Everything began to fade away until all she could see was a pair of brilliant golden eyes. And then it all fell away.

--

She could feel herself floating and opened her to eyes to see that she was still in the same clearing where she had died. She watched as Sesshoumaru gently closed the sightless eyes of her body. With a bitter sigh, she resigned herself to the fact that she was dead and began looking for whatever door or portal or other otherwordly creation would take her to the great beyond. After all, surely there had to be more to death than standing around ogling the living.

Still, she might as well take advantage of a good ogle while she had the chance. After all, she had no idea when she would be able to see a specimen as amazing looking as Sesshoumaru again. A wicked grin crossed her face as she shamelessly drank him, knowing that there was no way he could see her. Suddenly she screamed as someone spoke behind her, "Admiring the view, sister?…" Kagura whirled around only to be shocked speechless as she saw Kanna standing beside her, watching her silently with her odd eyes.

"Kanna..."

"Hello Kagura," She said dryly, "Did you really think that I wouldn't come to meet you?"

Kagura seemed to wake up at that and threw her arms around the smaller girl. "But Kanna… I let you die. Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Kagura, It was my choice to die. Not yours. Why would I be mad about that." She gave her sister the smallest of grins, "And really, being dead isn't all that bad. It's amazing how it changes your outlook on things."

Kagura stared at Kanna, unsure if she was joking or not. She shrugged, "I guess I don't really have to take your word for it, do I?"

"Fortunately, you do." Kanna interrupted Kagura's question before she even opened her mouth. "This isn't actually death. This is just somewhere in between; you're not allowed pass on until you finally go there to stay." Kanna laughed quietly at the confused look on Kagura's face. "Your time's not up yet." She turned and pointed at something behind Kagura. She turned back around to see Sesshoumaru standing over her body, drawing Tenseiga with his one good arm.

Kanna spoke up once again, her voice dead serious, "You've killed Naraku and avenged me Kagura, but you aren't free yet. You owe him your life now, a debt that you're going to have to repay." All of the sudden, Kagura felt an agonizing yank on her soul. She struggled to resist its pull, but felt her control slip as it yanked as second time, her vision beginning to fade. Just as the darkness claimed her she saw her sister give her the tiniest of waves...

--

Sesshoumaru had begun readying Tenseiga for a third swing when Kagura sat up with a gasp. Stepping back to give the resurrected youkai some air and allowing himself a small, satisfied smirk, he slid Tenseiga back into its sheath with an air of finality. He began to give the witch a once over to make sure that her wounds had been sufficiently healed but found himself watching through veiled eyes as Kagura's chest rose and fell beneath a torn kimono instead, providing him with tantalizing glimpses of the newly restored flesh beneath. He could feel a familiar warmth began to pool inside of him at the sight. Crimson eyes, disoriented as they were, stared disconcertingly at him and had he been a lesser youkai he had no doubt that he would have broken beneath her gaze. With a mental grimace, he forced away the unfamiliar feeling with years of practice and an iron will.

Finally, as she still hadn't looked away, Sesshoumaru began outright glaring at her. Her gaze sharpened as she immediately answered the silent challenge with one of her own. The two demons stared daggers at the other, neither crimson nor gold willing to admit defeat. Finally Kagura looked away and muttered a curt, "Thank you." She was silent for a moment. "I suppose you have some ridiculous task you want me to do in order to repay you."

Sesshoumaru found himself confused, not something that happened often with the taiyoukai. With a mental start he realized that she probably thought that he wanted something from her in return for bringing her back. He almost laughed, the idea that she could give him something that he couldn't provide himself was almost as preposterous as Inu Yasha's fighting style. "This Sesshoumaru desires nothing from you. Do not worry about some imagined debt."

Kagura stood up suddenly, eyes flaming, and Sesshoumaru realized that he had touched a nerve. "I have never accepted charity from anyone, and I won't accept it, not even from you Sesshoumaru!" She spat out his name like it was something distasteful. "I will pay you back!" She glared.

"If you insist on doing so, you may try," he returned evenly. He watched under hooded eyes as she suddenly began to sway back and forth on her heels. He stepped forward just as her legs collapsed beneath her, and of its own accord his arm shot out and caught her around the waist. Her momentum carried her forward into his chest and without thinking he pulled her the remaining few inches until she was flush against him. When he realized with an inward groan what he had done, he began contemplating removing that arm as well. He could feel the heat of her, burning against his skin, awakening something inside him. His body, disused to the feel of holding another after so long, began reacting to her presence against his will and it took all the control he had developed over centuries of life to keep from groaning as she shifted against him, her breasts rubbing tantalizingly against his chest. Their eyes met and he watched with a strange mixture of unease and male pride as she unconsciously ran her tongue along her lips, nearly undoing his self-control.

It was the smell of her arousal that brought him back to the present. Disconcerted at how easily she was affecting him, though he took care not to let it show, he pushed her away. Disappointment flashed briefly through her eyes as a deep blush rose to her face, but then her customary fire returned and with a disdainful "hmph!" she turned on her heel and marched off, tucking her fan back into her ruined sash. He smiled slightly despite himself, amused by her sudden exit. Until he noticed the sway of her hips as she walked and the long shapely legs that peeked out through tears in her kimono…

He should have known that he'd regret saving her…

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**Quick notes for this chapter:**

**1. **I know that Kanna is somewhat out of character, but I just can't help but feel sorry for the poor girl. She always get's such a bad rap. Since this is the only time she's appearing in this story, I figured giving her a bit of emotion couldn't hurt.

**2.** Originally this story was posted as "Neither Crimson nor Gold" to save "Crimson and Gold" for the original one. I have decided to return to "Crimson and Gold" for the title of this story and changed the original one to "Heart's Thief".

**3.** For anybody who cares, you can find a short explanation for my reasons behind abandoning the original Crimson and Gold on my homepage. I would be very grateful to anyone willing to go there and take a look. I've uploaded the drafts for several possible stories and any input that you can provide would be appreciated.

**ロ **If any of ya'll have any other thoughts on the story, please let me know. This story is as much for your entertainment as it is my edification. Your input is greatly appreciated and will be given the consideration it deserves.

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Published on: 9.28.08 (12:31 am)

Updated on: 10.06.08 (1:22 pm)

Date of Original Posting: 1.22.06

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Jak

ジャック (Jyakku)


	2. Loyalty

**Crimson and Gold**

Cute and Fluffy

* * *

**Standard Disclaimer:**

**ロ **I do not own Inu Yasha or any of the characters contained therein. This story is not for profit. The plot and any original characters I may create, however, are my own.

**ロ **This story is rated **T** for violence and language. The rating may be increased as the story progresses.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Loyalty**

Tensions ran high as the ragtag band of fighters, Sesshoumaru included as much to his surprise as to everyone else's, slowly began their trek back to Kaede's village. Despite the exhiliration of finally killing Naraku, the fatigue and pain had set in as soon as the adrenaline had worn causing Inu Yasha's normally carefree pack to become irritated and short with each other. The fact that Kouga, despite his injuries, looked to be inches away from attacking the wind with only exacerbated things.

Sesshoumaru grudingly had to give the miko credit for keeping things from exploding. The woman had skillfully dealt with each complaint and had even managed to keep the wolf youkai in line through sheer force of will. But he could tell that she obviously couldn't go on for too much longer. Between the exhaustion from fighting Naraku and the mental stress of dealing with this band of miscreants, the woman looked about ready to collapse. Inu Yasha as well, though his injuries had stabilized he was still grievously wounded and could not travel much farther without risking reopening them. Unfortunately, the hanyou wasn't the only one.

Sesshoumaru, though he refused to admit it, was in worse condition than he would have preferred. A fact that, despite his best efforts to hide it, Inu Yasha's miko (again) had noticed. He had been unable to escape before she had demanded, under threat of purification, that he remain with them until he was in a better condition. He remembered hearing her companions' breath catch at her audacity and could see the trepidation in their eyes as they had expected some gruesome fate to befall her, a fact that went in no small amount to restoring his pride injured at being ordered around by a mere human. But his pride aside, she had been right so he had agreed without a single word of argument.

The truth of the matter was that going off on his own, although he would be spared suffering through his half-brother's company, would have been a poor decision. He was in no condition to fight and had an actual opponent, not simply an idiot youkai with a death wish, shown up he would have been hard pressed to stay alive, much less emerge victorious. Despite the way his pride rankled at the fact, he was simply in too much pain not to accept their hospitality. He refused to think of it as charity.

The miko halted suddenly, declared camp for the night, and set her hodgepodge of followers on a variety of assigned tasks. Sesshoumaru knew that she and his stupid half-brother had likely come through this area too many times to count while searching for the jewel shards and thus were likely to know the best places to rest, so he made no argument at the halt. And, if his assessment of Kagome was correct, there was very likely a river or hot spring nearby where she, and therefore he, could take a bath. Perhaps the smell didn't bother the less sensitive noses of the humans and his half-brother, but the party reeked horribly, himself included. And taiyoukai simply did not reek. Ever.

Orders issued, everybody set out. Kouga, while far from fully healed, was the most fit to hunt, outside of himself of course. But as the miko realized, despite Sesshoumaru's desire to have a chance to remind her that he did not take orders, Kouga was sent instead to hunt down something for them to eat. While the wolf was gone, Kagome and Kagura went to fetch water from a nearby hot spring (Sesshoumaru suppressed a smirk at his accurate assessment of the miko) so that they could treat the various wounds Naraku had inflicted. They hadn't had a chance to do anything more than basic field treatment for the very worst injuries as it would have been foolish to linger too long near the battleground for fear that it would attract other youkai to it. An event which, in their present condition, could have been a very bad thing.

As soon as the miko had disappeared into the trees, Sesshoumaru watched as the hanyou collapsed at the base of a nearby tree. Inu Yasha was the worst off, suffering everything from a great many cuts and gashes, to a number of broken bones, including a shattered left arm, the irony of which amused Sesshoumaru greatly, as well as some serious internal bleeding. Out of all the hanyou's life-threatening injuries, however, the one he was currently complaining loudly about to the kitsune brat, who had rejoined the group following the battle, was a scraped knee.

Kagome had bandaged Inu Yasha's wounds tightly earlier, in order to slow the external bleeding that would have killed him, but despite being unable to see Sesshoumaru suspected that, even with his diluted blood, the hanyou's wounds had already begun to heal. Provided the miko's medicine was as good as she claimed and the idiot didn't do anything too terribly stupid, he would likely be fine in a couple of weeks. One couldn't expect too much out of him; he was only a hanyou after all.

As for Sesshoumaru, he could already feel the telltale itch of healing as his body began the arduous process of knitting itself back together. However, the knowledge that his injuries were already disappearing did nothing to lessen the pain. He was distracted from his throbbing side as the monk began digging through the miko's bag, presumably searching for something. Out of the entire group, the monk was the only one to escape without any severe physical injury, simply suffering from fatigue. In fact, if he had understood the taijiya's overjoyed shouts correctly, he had actually been healed of some sort of curse during the battle. Sesshoumaru presumed that it was that vortex in his hand that the fool had once had the audacity to turn on Sesshoumaru once upon a time.

And speaking of the taijiya, who was currently lying on her side next to Inu Yasha, Sesshoumaru had to admit that he was grudgingly impressed. While she was hardly in any shape to do any sort of fighting in the near future, she had managed to escape without crippling injury, an impressive feat for a human who had to rely on physical prowess alone. She had several nasty gashes along her back and arms and had torn a muscle in her leg, but all of that would heal with time. Sesshoumaru suppressed an undignified snort at the frailty of humans, but was spared further contemplation on the subject with the return of Kagura and Kagome.

With the miko's return, the monk handed her the strange white box that he had pulled from her bags. The same box she had used to treat his half-brother's wounds back at the battlefield. Opening it, she began pulling out an array of strange things which she immediately began using to tend to Inu Yasha. Taking off the hanyou's haori, she gently removed his bandages, ignoring his hisses of pain as they tore open his scabs, and began to clean his injuries with the water she had brought back. Finally able to accurately assess his half-brother's state, his lips curled up in a slight sneer at Inu Yasha's battered body, something the fool didn't fail to notice. "What are you looking at, bastard?" the hanyou snarled.

"A fool that desperately needs to learn to dodge," shot back Sesshoumaru calmly.

"I'm gonna…" started Inu Yasha as he tried to stand up, but was cut off with a groan as Kagome shoved him back down.

"You two, stop it! If you don't I'll be forced to purify you both!" the miko snapped.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at that and briefly considered calling her bluff as Inu Yasha sullenly acquiesced, "Fine, I'll stop if he will." Again, Sesshoumaru considered stating that he hadn't done anything to begin with, but thought better of it as he considered who exactly he was speaking to. "Besides, if he'd just take that stick out of his…" the hanyou trailed off with a hiss as his miko pushed a little too hard on one of his broken ribs. At least she had some sense.

However much sense the woman might have had, the taiyoukai had grown weary of the whole lot of Inu Yasha's rag-tag pack. Sesshoumaru turned and started off in the same direction that the women had taken earlier, intent on removing the grime from his person. He paused when he heard the wind witch call after him, "Sesshoumaru! Where are you going?"

He kept his back to them as he debated whether or not to answer her. They were all of them getting to be too presumptuous with him for their own good. But despite his desire to spite them, he also realized that if he kept silent one of them would likely stumble in on him bathing, a situation he didn't need. Not that he was ashamed of his body or embarrassed at being seen naked by any stretch of the imagination, however it would only increase the already palpable tension within the group, which would make the trip even more unbearable. He sighed inwardly before gracing her with a curt response, "To bathe." Without waiting for a reply, he continued onward, but as he got further away he could have sworn he heard a muttered…

"Asshole!"

--

"Asshole!" Kagura muttered as she tore another piece off of her kimono to use as a bandage. Kagome had run out of her own bandages, and seeing as how her old kimono was ruined beyond repair anyway, she had offered it for her to use. In the meantime until she could get another one, Kagome had loaned her a plain red kimono to wear. "I try to be considerate to him and that's what I get?" Inu Yasha started up another round of complaining and thinking that no one could hear her, she continued, "Its not like I asked him to help me in the first place…"

Lost in her thoughts Kagura missed the look of evil glee that Kagome gave her. Suddenly the miko interrupted her. "Hey Kagura, after Lord Fluffy," Kagura couldn't stifle a small laugh as she realized who the miko was referring to, "...gets back would you like to join Sango and I in the hot springs. We could all use a good bath."

"I don't know…" Kagura had to admit, the prospect of a warm bath sounded wonderful. "There won't be anyone watching, will there?"

"Absolutely not!" Kagome shot a pointed glance towards Miroku who gave her an innocent look back. "Kirara knows exactly what to do if a certain monk gets it in his head to try. "

The neko-youkai, in her adorable kitten form, hoped gleefully into Miroku's lap and began purring away. Miroku's eyes face paled minutely, obviously remembering what had happened the last time he had tried something on Kirara's watch.

"I still don't know…"

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!" put in Sango. "Just us girls and a spring full of hot water…"

"I suppose, if you really want me too…" said Kagura uncertainly. Suddenly remembering that Kouga would be coming back soon and unable to face him just yet, she made her decision. "Ok, I'll do it..."

Kagome squealed in delight and accidentally pulled too hard on the bandage she was putting around Inu Yasha's last cut, causing him to hiss in pain. Kagura simply smiled beneath her hand. All that attention really wasn't necessary. Half of those wounds would be gone by morning and all but the worst within the next few days after. If there was one thing the wind youkai was thankful for, it was the demons' ability to heal so quickly.

She felt a momentary pang of jealousy for Inu Yasha. Between the attention Kagome lavished on him, the look in her eyes each and every time she glanced at him, hell, even the fact that she was still with him, Kagura couldn't believe that the hanyou still didn't know how Kagome felt about him. He really must be as dense as Sesshoumaru had claimed.

Satisfied that Inu Yasha was fine, Kagome whirled around and began digging through her bag. She began pulling things out and piling them into the arms of the unsuspecting Kagura. The wind witch picked up one of the items and held it before her eyes, looking strangely at it. It was some sort of large, pink, fuzzy cloth. Kagura turned to Kagome, confused. "Kagome, what is all this stuff?"

"Oh, just some things we'll need," Kagome answered matter-of-factly. "Soap, shampoo, a box of pocky…"

The small kitsune, who had been sneaking up on Inu Yasha while the hanyou steadfastly ignored him, suddenly tackled Kagura with a cry of "Pocky!" He dug frantically through the pile until, pulling out a box, then ran off and hid with his prize.

Kagome shouted after Shippou, "Don't eat too much! You'll make yourself sick!" Then she turned with an apologetic smile to Kagura. "Perhaps I shouldn't have said that out loud. I managed to hide that box from him with some perfume and lots of clothes. I don't think he'll fall for that one a second time…"

Kagura got up with a grin and began folding the different items neatly, piling them back up."But why all the clothes?"

"Do you really expect to wear that kimono? It's absolutely filthy! And don't tell me you'll wash it because there is no way I'm letting you wear wet clothing back here. There's no telling what Miroku would do…" She shot a pointed glare at the monk who smiled innocently back.

"What else am I going to wear? Inu Yasha's already wearing my old kimono..." Kagura pointed to the bandages around the hanyou's ribs as he shot her a baleful glare. Kagome pointed to a white bundle that she had tossed unceremoniously on the ground.

"That." Kagura picked it up, running her hand over the fabric. It was made of some of the finest silk she had ever seen. The kimono was with crimson patterns spiraling down the shoulders and arms. It was absolutely breathtaking and clearly expensive. Kagura turned once again to Kagome, confused. The miko seemed to be doing that a lot to her lately. "Why aren't you wearing this?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm just more used to my scho… my other clothes. It's yours now… I'd never wear it anyway."

Kagura shook her head. "I couldn't accept this! You've done so much for me already..."

"No really, it's yours. Like I said, I really wouldn't ever wear it. And my mom would just get onto me about having nice clothes that I never use and… Never mind. Just think of it as a thank you gift to replace your ruined one."

"Well if you don't want it, then why do you have it?"

"Kaede kinda forced it on me while we were leaving. So I just stuck it in there with the red one. I'm serious though, Kagura. If you give it back to me I will tear it to pieces."

Kagura clutched the kimono to her chest as tears came unbidden to her eyes. This one was even nicer than her previous kimono, made so all the more by the fact that it was given to her by someone who actually cared. Even if her old one hadn't been ruined, Kagura knew she would have burned it. There was just to many memories that she didn't want associated with it. As it was, she appreciated the irony of Naraku's gift serving to bandage his killer.

Grateful, Kagura reached over and pulled the miko into a big hug. Inu Yasha snorted. "For Kami's sake, it's just a piece of cloth! I don't see what you two are getting so worked up about!"

"Inu Yasha! Sit!" The poor hanyou slammed into the ground. "You just had to open your big mouth and spoil the moment!" Any reply he had was muffled by two feet of dirt. Kagura smirked, then in a display of childishness, stuck out her tongue at the immobilized hanyou. Much to her embarrassment, Sesshoumaru had chosen that exact moment to return. When she heard him cough discreetly behind her, she whirled around, her face almost the color of her eyes. Fortunately she was saved from further embarrassment by Kagome.

"Finally you're back!" She snapped, exasperated. She gathered up the clothes Kagura had so neatly folded, then dumped the rest of her stuff on top of them. As the three girls headed off for the hot springs Kagome shouted back to the three men, "Play nice!" ignoring Inu Yasha's and Miroku's protests and Sesshoumaru's silent smirk of amusement.

"Is it smart leaving the three of them together like that?" asked Kagura.

"Probably not," Kagome responded with a sadistic grin. "But Inu Yasha could use a little humiliating. He's been much too cocky for his own good lately. Besides, the worst that could happen is they kill Miroku. We'd be better off without him anyway…"

Sango cut Kagome off, "Hey!" causing the miko to begin giggling at the other girl's expense. Sango turned a bright red and turned her head away muttering something.

They continued like this until they reached the spring. It was in a small clearing, surrounded by a small rock overhang on the far side and trees on all the others. When the girls reached it, Kagome and Sango immediately began to strip. Kagura hesitated but soon followed suit.

With a sigh they sank into the spring, letting the hot water caress weary limbs and soothe their cuts and bruises. Taking a deep breath, Kagura immersed herself fully and began scrubbing at her hair. It was still partially matted with blood, her blood, and dirt from their travels. When she came back up, Kagome tossed her a bottle of that strange "shampoo" stuff. "Use this Kagura."

"How?"

"It's easy, just watch me." Kagome grabbed the other bottle and poured some in her hands. Then, briefly rubbing her hands together, began scrubbing her hair with it. Imitating her, Kagura was amazed at how well the stuff worked. The dirt and blood practically fell out of her hair, leaving it cleaner than she had ever felt it before. That feeling was absolutely luxurious. When she was back under Naraku's control she rarely had time for a bath and had never been able to get fully clean. This was like heaven to Kagura.

The girls finished bathing and sat back to simply relax. Kagome turned suddenly to Kagura, "What do you think you're going to do now?"

"Hm?"

"Now that Naraku's dead, I mean..."

"I don't know..." said Kagura thoughtfully. "I hadn't really expected to survive. I suppose... I don't suppose you'd mind letting me stay with you for a little while." Kagura asked as her face reddened. "I don't really know how to live on my own... I was always too busy flying from place to place doing Naraku's dirty work to learn how."

"Of course, you can!" Kagome answered cheerfully. "We'd love to have you."

"I just don't to cause any more trouble than I already have. I promise that I'll find some way to pay you back..."

Kagome cut her off. "You've already earned it. Besides, if you absolutely have to, I'm sure there's work in the village that you can help out with."

"You can start by helping me get her and knucklehead over there to quit dancing around each other," Sango cut in. Kagome blushed.

"I take it this isn't anything new then?" Kagura asked, attempting to satisfy her curiousity.

"Gods, no! Those two have been batting eyes at each other ever since I met them!"

"Like you and Miroku are any better, Sango! I saw you two after Naraku died!" It was Sango's turn to blush. Suddenly Kagome turned to Kagura with a malicious gleam in her eye. "So Kagura, I don't suppose you've got your eyes set on anyone yet?"

The memory of being pressed against Sesshoumaru's chest flashed through her mind. "N… no…" she stammered out.

Kagome's grin got even wider. "Well… you know, Fluffy-sama is quite the specimen."

Sango gave Kagome a weird look followed by an equally sadistic grin when it dawned on her. "Last time I checked, he was still single too." She put in.

Kagura could feel her face burning as the two humans teased her. "I think it's too early for me to think about finding a man just yet..." Slowly slipping into the easy camaraderie between the two women, she turned on Kagome. "Besides, I think I'd rather have his brother anyways. I mean, those ears!? I could just rub them all day!"

"Half-brother," Kagome corrected before realizing what Kagura had just said. "I don't think so! Keep your paws off of my hanyou!" When the other girls started laughing, Kagome sank back down into the water a magnificent shade of red. Splashing water at Kagura, she muttered an embarrassed, "Oh, shut up!"

Kagome's attack hit the unprepared Kagura right in the face. She sat there, water dripping from her hair, a slight pout on her face making her look like a bedraggled kitten. "Kagura…" Kagome began to apologize, but was cut off as the youkai spun around laughing, her arm dragging through the water sending a wave cascading over the two humans. Kagome stared at her in shock, then splashed water back at her. All hell broke lose.

The three of them laughed and shouted, drenching each other time and time again, until Kagura waded over to the edge of the springs and grabbed her fan. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent a tidal wave of water crashing down on the Sango and Kagome. The two of them came up sputtering and the three girls dissolved into giggles.

Noticing that it was already darkening, the three of them toweled off and got dressed before setting back. But as they came into earshot of the camp, Kagura heard Kouga's voice and froze. Her friends stopped with her and looked back at her, concern evident on their faces. "I can't do it," she whispered, her face flushed with shame.

"You can't what?" Sango asked with concern.

"I… I can't face Kouga… You saw him on the trip back here. He still wants me dead. And I just can't fight him again. And now he'll be sure to attack me, and… and... I just can't…" Kagura hung her head.

Kagome pulled the sniffling youkai into a hug. "Don't worry, Kagura. There's no way we'll let him hurt you."

"Yeah, you're one of the girls now!" Sango said with a grin. Kagura looked increduously between the two of them.

"Listen, Kagura. I realize that saying we haven't always gotten along is putting it nicely..." Kagome said softly, "But we don't care anymore what Naraku made you do. You're not him. We know that you didn't want to do those things and that you're a good person at heart. And if Kouga can't see that than he deserves to have someone beat some sense into him!"

"But I'm not a good person... Naraku may have made me do those things, but I could have ignored him. But I was to concerned about my own life to care." Kagura looked away, unable to meet either of their eyes. "And I think a part of me even enjoyed doing them..." she added quietly.

She prepared herself to be pushed away, but stared shocked at Kagome as she hugged her even tighter. "We all have done things we're ashamed of Kagura. What matters in the long run is that we try to make up for them. That's what truly makes a person good."

Kagura smiled weakly at her. "Thank you, Kagome. You don't know how much I appreciate hearing that..."

"Stop worrying, Kagura," added Sango. "We mean it when we say you have us now. We'll help you make it through everything."

Her spirits bolstered by their support, Kagura straightened up and gave the two of them a wavering grin. With the two of them flanking her they slowly walked back into camp.

--

As soon as he saw her, Kouga fixed her with a hateful glare. However, knowing that she was not alone she bravely met his eyes, refusing to be cowed. Suddenly, he stalked away to bow on the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet, his forehead touching the back of his hands. Without looking up, he snarled, "Sesshoumaru-sama. This bitch murdered my brothers in cold blood. As my liege lord, I beg you to let me kill her and lay their spirits to rest."

Sango's and Kagome's protests immediately split the air surprisingly followed shortly by those of the monk and the kitsune. Kagura watched Sesshoumaru as he silently waited out their yelling.

She knew the humans didn't believe that Sesshoumaru had the power or the right to grant Kouga's request, but Kagura knew better. Naraku had trained her well in matters of both human and demon politics and as her massacre had happened on his lands and that the wolves she had killed "belonged" to him, he was well within his rights as taiyoukai to grant Kouga's request. In fact, it would be foolish for him not to. Kagura was nothing to him and the wolf tribes had traditionally been stalwart allies of his own. To deny Kouga was to sever ties with his particular tribe and to risk alienating some of his strongest allies among the other wolves.

Finally, once everyone had quieted down, Sesshoumaru eyed her thoughtfully. After a moment's consideration, he announced in a voice that brooked no argument, "She repaid her debt when she sacrificed her life for yours. Your tribe has no claim on her life."

Kagura could do nothing, but stare dumbfounded at the taiyoukai as Kouga got up, furious, "She owes us a thousand deaths for everyone she killed! Why protect her, she's nothing but Naraku's bitch! We'd be doing the world a favor by killing her..." He was cut off suddenly as Kagome walked over and slapped him hard across the face.

Kouga stared at her in shock before anger once again overtook him. Realizing that he was without allies in the camp, everyone trusting in Kagome's judgement of the elemental, he snarled defeatedly. "Fine, so be it! From this day forth, my tribe renounces you. You are no lord of ours. And know this. One day, I will kill her!" The wolf bounded off into the darkness.

Everyone stood in stunned silence as Kouga's last words rang in their ears. Inu Yasha was the first to break the silence. "Keh. I'd like to see him try. The bitch is too stubborn to stay dead."

Kagome, misunderstanding his underhanded compliment, turned and glared at Inu Yasha. "Inu Yasha! Sit!" The hanyou hit the ground in front of the taiyoukai with a highly satisfying thud.

Sesshoumaru looked down at him and said deadpan… "It looks like you've finally learned your place."

The moment the spell released him all chaos broke lose as Inu Yasha leapt up to attack Sesshoumaru resulting in another sit from Kagome. The two of them began arguing, while Sango went to retrieve Kirara from Miroku. Kagura ignored them though, having eyes only for Sesshoumaru, who had turned to look at her.

As the chaos subsided, something drove her to walk over and bow on the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet. "That's twice you've saved me now." She hesitated, "I would give my loyalty to you, if you would have me."

The camp sat in complete silence for a few tense seconds. "That is not needed," Sesshoumaru finally said.

"Nonetheless," she answered, "If you ever have need of me, I will come."

He looked at her for a few seconds more before giving an imperious nod.

As that the spell that had bound the others into silence broke and chaos broke loose once again. Ignoring them, Kagura remained kneeling in front of Sesshoumaru. Unwilling to meet his eyes quite yet, she stared at the ground as she whispered, "Thank you."

Sesshoumaru remained silent. She lifted her head to look at him, but whatever she had meant to say was lost as his golden eyes met hers. She felt her body reacting to his intense look in ways she had never before experienced. Ways that both confused and exhilarated her. Completely caught up in the moment, she barely registered as he nodded once. Then he was gone…

--

Sesshoumaru ran blindly through the forest, needing desperately to clear his head. What had he just done? Although he had never much liked Kouga or his clan, he had to admit that they had always been staunch allies. And now he had cast that all away? And for what? A single woman?! And a child of Naraku no less!

Suddenly a sharp pain in his side reminded him of his wound and he stopped and sat down on the ground. Even despite the insistent ache in his side, Sesshoumaru felt better. Running always cleared his mind, allowed him to think rationally in those few moments that he lost it. The fell of his legs pounding the ground, the wind whistling through his hair and past his ears, was mind-numbing and always helped when he needed to simply quit thinking and allow his mind some time to resettle itself.

What was it about her that caused him to act irrationally? He was Sesshoumaru! The son of the Inu Taishou! A youkai worthy of his father's blood! It had been decades since he had made such an irrational decision.

He had to admit, her offer had caught him completely by surprise. It was one thing to owe someone your life; it was quite another to swear to come and serve at his call. The fact that she had promised him did much to justify the loss a one small tribe. He was well aware that Kagura was an extremely powerful demon and the fact remained that Kouga's tribe was already dying. In a few decades it would have disappeared completely, the survivors of her massacre either absorbed into other tribes or killed. As long as he acted decisively to make sure that the other wolf tribes didn't lose faith, he would gladly accept the cost.

But that was beside the point. The fact was that he hadn't stopped to consider the consequences or how it would benefit him. He had simply reacted. Just the sight of her, wet hair hanging past her shoulders, damp kimono clinging partially to her skin, crimson eyes flashing defiantly even as she accepted his judgment was enough to make him jeopardize centuries of peace between the dogs and the wolves. If she hadn't sworn loyalty to him, he would have sacrificed much and gained nothing in return.

Irritated with himself, he shook his head fiercely, silver hair flying about. He was still exhausted from fighting a powerful foe and he was injured. Even he couldn't be expected to react completely rationally under those circumstances.

Recognizing he needed it, Sesshoumaru knelt on the ground and tried to slip into meditation. He had years of practice at finding his center and yet for some reason he was having trouble reaching it. His irritation grew with each second he failed and when a vision of Kagura's legs peeking out through the tears in her clothes passed through his mind, he gave up with a growl of disgust. He had to end this obsession with that woman. And he'd start by putting some distance between the two of them. Taking a moment to orientate himself towards home, he disappeared into the night.

--

Kagura lay curled up on her feather, hovering high above the ground. With a sigh she pillowed her head on her arm and closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of the wind on her face. She could hear Kagome and Inu Yasha arguing below her and the sound brought a contented smile to her face. She was free!

Kagome's words from the hot springs echoed through her mind once more, causing the memory of Sesshoumaru holding her against him to flash through her head. This time though, she paused to replay it, ignoring the slight flush that rose to her cheeks. Even if he wasn't interested, she was allowed to appreciate him, wasn't she?

With a scoff she threw away her reservations. Propriety be damned. He was a fine looking youkai and she'd fantasize about him if she damned well wanted to. It wasn't like he was going to stop her. Slowly though, fantasies about Sesshoumaru slipped away as she dreamed about all the other stuff she was going to do. A whole new world of possibilities had opened up for her and she could hardly wait to explore it. Dreams of a future filled with love and laughter filled her head as she began to drift off. Just as she slipped off to sleep, a vision of herself holding a giggling child with silver hair and crimson eyes flitted across her mind and her last thought before oblivion claimed her was to wonder if perhaps Sesshoumaru was thinking of her...

* * *

**Quick notes for this chapter:**

**1. **Just to settle any confusion among those who may have read this story in the first few days of it's posting, I am aware that this is the second part of the original chapter. I ended up deciding to split it into two as the original was rather long. I apologize to anyone who was looking forward to the continuation and has this instead. Secondly, I have decided to switch the title of this story to "Crimson and Gold" as opposed to the original "Neither Crimson nor Gold". I felt it just didn't have the same ring to it.

**2.** I want to apologize to any big fans of Kouga's. While I actually rather like his character I'm afraid that he had to be 'sacrificed' for the sake of the story. And while I feel that he genuinely likes Inu Yasha's little pack, I think that his hatred of Kagura, anger at Sesshoumaru for refusing him, and his hurt and sense of betrayal at their unwillingness to side with him, could cause him to react the way he did.

**ロ**If any of ya'll have any other thoughts on the story, please let me know. This story is as much for your entertainment as it is my edification. Your input is greatly appreciated and will be given the consideration it deserves.

* * *

Published:　10.06.08 (1:20 pm)

Updated On: 10.07.08 (11:43 pm)

Original Posting: _not applicable_

* * *

Jak

ジャック (Jyakku)


	3. Introspection

**Crimson and Gold  
**

Cute and Fluffy

* * *

**Standard Disclaimer:**

**ロ **I do not own Inu Yasha or any of the characters contained therein. This story is not for profit. The plot and any original characters I may create, however, are my own.

**ロ **This story is rated **T** for violence and language. The rating may be increased as the story progresses.

* * *

**Introspection**

Kagura was the first one to wake up the next morning, opening her eyes just in time to see the sun begin to peek above the horizon. She felt a peaceful stillness that she was unaccustomed to as she took advantage of the unfamiliar solitude to simply relax on her feather and watch as the sun painted the sky a hundred different shades of blue and red. The magnificence was breathtaking.

It occurred to her that perhaps, now that she had earned her freedom from her unlamented "father", she should just take some time to enjoy the simpler pleasures in life. If the rest of them were anything as incredible as this sunrise, she thought she could probably live quite happily that way. She had never felt more content with the world than as she sat there, the wind gently rocking her feather and caressing her face. For the first time in her short life she felt fully at peace.

The mood unfortunately came to an end as she heard someone stirring beneath her. Leaning over the edge of her feather to see who had woken, she found Inu Yasha sitting up on the branch he had slept on, his amber eyes uncharacteristically veiled as he watched her. For a few moments, she ignored him and tried to regain the peace she had felt just moments ago, but the knowledge that someone else was sharing this with her ruined it.

With a resigned sigh, she directed the feather to gently descend down to eye-level with the hanyou. The two sat there, each unsure of what to say, but neither able to ignore the other, until Inu Yasha looked away to watch Kagome sleep.

Kagura glanced briefly at the sleeping girl. "You're lucky, you know," she said quietly. "She cares very much for you."

The look of longing that briefly filled his eyes caused her heart to twinge with an unfamiliar emotion. "I know," he responded, just as quietly.

"Then why haven't you done anything about it?" Kagura whispered incredulously.

"She deserves better than anything I can give her. Besides..." He cut himself off with a snort before turning to glare at her, "Why am I even telling you any of this?"

"Because I'm a beautiful lady and even you can't escape my charms." She said primly.

"Keh! You're just a nosy bitch with no regard to other people's privacy." Irritated, Kagura pulled out her closed fan and smacked Inu Yasha in the back of the head with it. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"Now, now, Inu Yasha. You really shouldn't speak to a woman that way." She shook one finger at him as if chastising a pup.

"Whoever said I was speaking to a woman?" She hit him again. He swiped at the fan with a snarl, but missed as Kagura swiftly pulled it out of his reach.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're an ill-tempered lout?" Kagura asked mischievously as the hanyou glared balefully at her. "I'm pretty sure your brother at the very least would have said something to you..."

"Half-brother," he corrected automatically, "and he has. Many times."

"I'll just have to help Kagome train you then. We can't let her been seen with someone as rude and ill-mannered as you."

"And what would you know about being nice?" he snarled.

Kagura felt a guilty pang at his comment, but pushed it away as she swatted his head yet again. "Okay, bitch! That's it." Inu Yasha stood up to attack the fan but accidentally overbalanced himself on the branch and began windmilling his arms to keep from falling. Just as he was beginning to regain his balance, Kagura heard Kagome yawn from beneath her.

Still irked by the hanyou's comment and deciding that Kagome wouldn't notice since she was still half-asleep, she snapped her fan open and with a flick hit Inu Yasha with a gust of wind just strong enough to push the hanyou out of the tree. He immediately let out a string of curses that would have made a sailor proud, but was cut off as his face impacted the ground with a satisfying thump.

Satisfied that he had learned his lesson for the time being, Kagura floated down to the ground. She stepped lightly off her feather and over to Kagome as she plucked her feather out of the air and shrunk it down to its normal size.

Kagome looked blankly around, stared at Kagura, and than blinked twice before actually noticing her. "Oh, good morning Kagura!" The young miko smiled drowsily at the wind youkai.

Kagura smiled back. "Good morning, Kagome. Its about time you woke up."

Kagome snorted, a bad habit she had picked up from Inu Yasha, and threw a stick at Kagura's head. "I would have been up earlier if someone had let me sleep. It's not my fault someone kept on hearing imaginary wolf youkai..." She shot a pointed glare at the tree Inu Yasha had slept in before noticing he wasn't there anymore. Kagura grinned and inclined her head towards where Inu Yasha still lay twitching on the ground. "What…"

Kagura stopped her with a smile and a rueful shake of her head. "Don't ask."

At that point Inu Yasha had managed to regain his feet and stood up. "I'm telling you that he was out there!"

"Mh-hm. I'm sure he was..." the two degraded into arguing.

Kagura looked at them blankly. Until their words sank in and she looked around in surprise. Kouga really was gone. It was just the three of them, the monk, the taijiya, and the fox kit. She gave a short sigh of relief. She had almost been worried that it had all been just a dream.

Then she realized that Sesshoumaru was gone as well. She looked around, double-checking. But the taiyoukai really had disappeared. And Kagura really wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Kagome somehow managed to pick up on the elemental's emotional confusion and sent Inu Yasha off to find them something to eat before the others woke up. As soon as she was satisfied that the hanyou was out of earshot, she turned concerned eyes on Kagura. "Is something wrong, Kagura?"

"He's gone, isn't he?"

Kagome didn't need to ask who _he_ was. "I think so."

Kagura was quiet. "He didn't even say good-bye..."

Kagome pulled the wind youkai into a hug as she felt her maternal instincts kicking in. It was so easy for Kagome to forget that the youkai was barely over a year old and almost as emotionally mature. Naraku may have been able to give her the intelligence and body of an adult, but Kagome doubted that even he could have given his daughter the wisdom to deal with the feelings that came with being alive. If he had even tried.

And that stupid Sesshoumaru just had to drop the poor girl on the biggest emotional roller-coaster of her short life, thought Kagome. No doubt Kagura felt confused. "Hey, don't worry about it. That's his loss, not yours. I guarantee you that you'll find someone better out there for you than he could ever be."

Kagura smiled weakly. "I guess you're right..."

"Of course I'm right. Now lets wake up the others or we won't get off until midnight… tomorrow."

Kagura laughed softly and followed Kagome to help wake up her new friends. Despite the way the miko's words echoed in her ears, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was had lost something important. And even her new-found resolve to forget about the taiyoukai couldn't dismiss the dull ache in her heart.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's ears twitched at the sound of the chirping of a newly awakened bird. He sat up and rubbed his shoulder, trying to ease the cramp that had developed from sleeping on a rather nasty rock all night. Unable to block out the song of the confounded bird, he settled for throwing a rock at it instead. With a sharp squawk of pain, the infernal noise stopped. Sesshoumaru was not a morning person.

But the annoying bird wasn't the whole reason Sesshoumaru woke up irritated. He was angry at himself for having fled because he had felt unable to deal with a mere woman. Almost like the proverbial dog, running away with it's tail between it's legs.

However, he wasn't fool enough to try blaming it on her. Fact of the matter was, he had chosen to run away and that was what was really eating at him. One would have thought that he'd be old enough by know to realize that all running does is postpone the problem, it never solves anything. He really should have just dealt with it then and there.

Truth was, he was rather intimidated by the effect she was having on him. It was hardly like he had never been with a woman before. If he hadn't, it might have been excusable. But Sesshoumaru was still male and as such privy to all the needs and desires that came with it. However, he had never encountered a woman able to unsettle him with the same quickness and ease that she had. Perhaps, it was simply because it had been a while since he had let himself find relief in a woman's arms.

Sesshoumaru laid back down and banged his head lightly against the ground with a sigh. Just for once he wished that life wasn't quite so complicated. He knew full well that he was fleeing straight into a nest of angry wasps. He had no doubts that his courts was in near anarchy. In a few years, Naraku had destroyed the balance that the Lords had spent centuries trying to create. And now it was going to take years of hard labor on his part before things began to return to the way they were.

Dispirited, for just a few brief seconds, he allowed himself to entertain thoughts of simply running away.

No bickering lords constantly demanding his time. No need to worry about assassination plots or conspiracies to overthrow him. No responsibilities, no duties, just the freedom to do whatever the hell he wanted.

More than anything he wanted to see the ocean. Sure, he had been there before, had smelt the salty air as it blew across his skin and heard the thunder of the waves crashing against the shore. But he had never really _seen_ it. Had never allowed himself to stop and marvel at it's beauty for fear of looking the fool in front of the nobles plaguing him at the time. And he certainly hadn't allowed himself to let loose and dive into the waves the way he had wanted to.

He could picture himself playing in the ocean, stripped down to his undergarments, the salty spray of seawater causing his skin to glisten. He could picture Rin there with him, could hear her laughter as the two of them chased seagulls through the waves. And strangely enough, he could see Kagura there as well, sitting on the beach with her legs tucked at her side, her crimson eyes lit up with delight as she watched the two of them. For just a moment, he could see himself being truly happy, able to revel in the sensation without having to worry about who may see or what the consequences might be. But when the damned bird from earlier began singing again, the image was ripped away.

Sesshoumaru almost could have sworn that he felt physical pain at it's loss.

In the end, it didn't really matter. By the time he was ever free from the greedy claws of the nobles, Rin would have grown old and died and the wind witch a forgotten memory. He was doing himself a disfavor by even entertaining these thoughts. With a reluctant sigh slipping between his lips, the taiyoukai rose to his feet and summoned his cloud. Once he reached the safety of his home, he'd ban the nobles from entry and allow himself some time for his wounds to heal and to re-acclimate himself to the rapidly changing tides of politics. And then, he'd find himself a beautiful woman to erase all the strange desires that had been plaguing him from the moment he met that cursed elemental.

Tossing a second rock as a parting gift for his avian friend, he rose into the air and began the journey back to his estate.

* * *

**Quick notes for this chapter:**

**1.** Mostly an apology for this chapter being so short. The average length for the chapters I have written is around 4,000 words give or take. Unfortunately, the next one will be short as well.

**2. **As far as Kagura goes, I'm pretty much just tossing that age out there. And while her rationality and logical processes might be equal to those of an adult, as most of us realize emotion has little to do with logic. The ability to process and deal with emotions comes from experience with them and not some theoretical knowledge. Thus her somewhat childish response to Sesshoumaru's departure.

**3. **Finally, as far as Sesshoumaru goes, there is a large difference between being and appearing emotionless. Yes, he has an iron will and far more control over them than anyone of us could ever hope to have, but by no stretch does that mean he doesn't have them. And if he has emotions then he has hope and therefore he has dreams that he hopes to fulfill, whether he'd let himself or not. And I thought a sensation-rich place such as the ocean would be a good place for a dog youkai to dream about.

**ロ**If any of ya'll have any other thoughts on the story, please let me know. This story is as much for your entertainment as it is my edification. Your input is greatly appreciated and will be given the consideration it deserves.

* * *

**ロ**I hesitate to ask like this, but I'd like to get some opinions on the use of original characters as a main part of a storyline. So if any of ya'll are willing to share your opinions please write me an email or send me a message. I'd appreciate it.

* * *

Published on: 10.13.08 (11:43 pm)

Updated on:--

Date of Original Posting: --

* * *

Jak

ジャック (Jyakku)


	4. As Seasons Change

**Crimson and Gold  
**

Cute and Fluffy

* * *

**Standard Disclaimer:**

**ロ **I do not own Inu Yasha or any of the characters contained therein. This story is not for profit. The plot and any original characters I may create, however, are my own.

**ロ **This story is rated **T** for violence and language. The rating may be increased as the story progresses.

* * *

**As Seasons Change...  
**

2 years later…

As she began hanging up the wash to dry Kagome heard a melodious song coming from the other side of the house and knew that Kagura was once again hard at work tending her flowers. She smiled, who would have guessed that Naraku's child would have taken such a liking to something as simple as growing flowers. It was her opinion that Kagura cared less about the flowers themselves than the simple act of nurturing something instead of destroying it. Perhaps it was also a subtle way of spitting on Naraku's memory. Either way Kagome was glad that the wind youkai had found something that she enjoyed.

Another habit that Kagura had taken up as of late was singing. The woman had one of the most beautiful singing voices that Kagome had ever heard. Shippou especially had fallen in love with it. Every single time Kagura returned from one of her trips the fox kit somehow managed to show up before her feet had even touched the ground and refused to rest until she had sang for him. Kagome smiled fondly at the thought of her adopted child; it seemed like he had developed a bit of a crush for the elder youkai.

Regardless, Kagome was most grateful that the wind youkai had decided to stay with them two years ago; she had quickly become an integral part of their little family. She had even managed to find a soft spot in Inu Yasha's heart, despite his fierce denials otherwise. But every time Kagura left the village, Kagome could feel an unmistakable tension in her mate that wouldn't disappear until the wind youkai had returned. And with the way he tended to glare at any male who looked at her, Kagome had come to the opinion that her hanyou had adopted Kagura as the little sister he never had.

It had taken awhile for him to finally warm up to her though. Kagome could remember the two of them getting into the fiercest spats until one day shortly after Miroku and Sango's wedding, which had been a beautiful affair in itself. However, once the two humans had left to start their new home in Sango's old village, Inu Yasha slipped into a terrible mood for days. Finally Kagome had gotten tired of putting up with him and after their third spat in as many hours, had decided to take a long walk. Unfortunately for her, a small group of panther youkai had decided to attack the village that same day.

Luckily, Inu Yasha had gotten a whiff of their scent on the wind and had managed to reach her before they did. The youkai had been no match for him, but he hadn't realized that one was still alive and simply hiding among the dead. As soon as he turned his back, it pounced.

Kagome had never quite been able to get over the memory. Even now, she could see it as vividly as she had then. The sight of those claws inches from her face, the feeling of it's hot, rancid washing over her skin, and the sound of Inu Yasha's despairing scream, and the hot, sticky feeling of blood were featured frequently in her worst nightmares. She could also remember her shocked surprise as she realized that it wasn't her own.

Kagura had caught the sounds of the fight on her return and had flown over just in time to eviscerate the panther with a flick of her wrist and then collapse laughing at the look on Inu Yasha's face. Removed from the memory as she was now, Kagome had to admit that he had indeed looked like he had just "pissed himself"; however at the time, standing there covered in panther guts, she had been quite furious with the both of them, Kagura for laughing and Inu Yasha for getting her in the situation to begin with.

But the fact that Kagura had managed to find something to laugh about even in that terrifying situation was another thing that Kagome loved about her. Over the past two years, she had somehow developed the remarkable ability to simply take in each moment as it happened, refusing to let foolish worries about the past or future bother her. But even with the wind youkai's devil-may-care nature Kagome could tell that she had never been able to set aside her guilt at the lives she had taken under Naraku's command. One of Kagome's greatest regrets was her inability to say or do anything to help ease the burden that her dear friend carried constantly. Especially when she owed her so much, not the least of which was her mate.

Kagome smiled warmly as she gently fingered the bite mark at the base of her neck. Inu Yasha had finally accepted her as his mate just over four months ago. And while she didn't know exactly how Kagura had done it (Inu Yasha refused to say a word on the subject) Kagome knew that the wind youkai had somehow played a significant role in getting the hanyou off his ass; if only because he had avoided her like the plague for weeks afterwards. And while Kagome was dying to know how she had accomplished in days what Kagome had been trying to do for years, she was more than happy to simply reap the benefits.

However, their relationship seemed to be just another burden on Kagura's shoulders. There had been a number of times that the wind youkai had watched her and Inu Yasha with such undisguised longing in her eyes that it nearly broke Kagome's heart. Not that there was any real lack of men for Kagura to pick from, but it seemed that even the few that Inu Yasha failed to scare away were never quite good enough for her. At times Kagome had to wonder just what standard she was comparing them against that made them so unworthy.

Their was really no way for Kagome to tell for certain, but she definitely had her suspicions. Kagura had had an obvious crush on the taiyoukai for weeks after the battle, but it had seemed that as time passed she had gotten over it. Lately though, Kagome was beginning to wonder if the elemental ever had. It was the little things that she did; like the way she tended to stare off into the west when she thought no on was looking or the little looks of irritation that she would throw at Inu Yasha anytime he started ridiculing his half-brother. It seemed that she was the only one who noticed these things; anytime Kagome brought up her suspicions with Inu Yasha he stubbornly insisted that she didn't know what she was talking about. Then again, what would he know about love?

Kagome sighed and returned to hanging up the clothes. Kagura was her own woman, and a strong one at that. She was more than capable of making her own decisions. Suddenly a wide grin split Kagome's face. Just because Kagura was capable of doing it, didn't mean Kagome couldn't give her a little help...

* * *

Sesshoumaru stood alone at the top of a hill, his retinue of guards standing at the base behind him. Forgoing the panoramic image of his lands spread out for miles in front of him, he closed his eyes and sniffed the air. He knew that there was something out of place on the wind, but neither he nor his men had been able to place it.

But after one of the longest patrols he had been on in quite some time, the desire to go home had vastly overpowered any inclination to investigate. And there was no doubt in his mind that if he was ready to quit, then his men wanted to be home yesterday.

Turning around and giving his captain a curt nod, he took off, his men falling into rank behind him. While he could get back much faster if he were to call on his cloud, not all of the youkai with him were capable of similar feats. He was, however, going to make them go as fast as they possibly could. When they realized that their best couldn't even make him break a sweat, it would serve as yet another reminder of his strength and therefore his authority as leader. Which was the whole point of a taiyoukai doing patrols to begin with; to remind his subjects that he was still, in a manner of speaking, "top dog".

Plus he'd get back to Rin faster.

The girl had become a constant worry on his mind. It was rapidly becoming impossible to pass her off as simply a "pet" for his amusement; assuming it hadn't already. Sooner or later, some noble was going to get it into his head to use her as a pawn in yet another irritating plot. And trips like this that took him away from her always had him on edge.

Not only that, but she was growing up. And Sesshoumaru had _no_ idea how to deal with that.

His sisters had been several decades older than him when he had been born and even had that not been the case, he would have still been raised separately. While youkai only accepted the strongest as leaders, in noble families the first-born males were still raised and groomed as heirs. More often than not, they ended up proving themselves worthy of the title in the end. So why wait until then to start training them in what they needed to know?

Unfortunately, how to raise a pubescent teenage girl, much less a human one, was not one of the things that his father had thought he had needed to know. And now Sesshoumaru had no idea how in the hells he was supposed to deal with his adopted daughter growing up.

As nobody else was close enough behind him to see, he allowed himself the smallest of smiles. He had finally come to terms with the fact that he loved Rin like his own child. Even he couldn't help his amusement at the irony of that; the one youkai who had spent years hunting down his own kin because of his impure heritage now found himself raising one of the full-blooded humans he had professed over and over again to hate. The gods simply had to be laughing at him.

As heart-warming as the situation may be, it didn't change the fact that he had no idea how to properly raise her. He was stumbling on blind and hoping that he didn't screw her up too bad. He needed help.

Unfortunately, any help he could get was either human, which would be suicide for both him and Rin, or demon, which would practically gift wrap Rin for his enemies. He snorted mentally, perhaps he should see if Inu Yasha needed a job.

He hadn't seen his half-brother in two years. Not since that debacle between Kouga and Kagura. Fortunately, his mistake there hadn't cost him a thing. As it turned out, while he had been out of the loop, the vast majority of Kouga's tribe had already been annexed into one of the larger wolf tribes. Apparently, they had become resentful of Kouga for abandoning them when they needed his leadership the most and one of Kouga's more opportunistic enemies had taken the chance to snatch them up. All that was left to the wolf youkai was a small band of his most loyal followers.

He hoped Kagura had fared better than Kouga had.

It was strange how she seemed to pop into his head at the oddest times. For instance, while contemplating the nuances of wolf youkai politics. It wasn't particularly intrusive; the odd moment wondering what she might be doing or imagining her in court dissecting the especially long-winded noble in front of him with her acerbic wit. He barely even noticed it anymore.

The spies he had watching Inu Yasha reported that she was staying with the hanyou and that she seemed to be doing well and Sesshoumaru was content leaving it at that. As interesting as her imagined commentary might be in his head, he had no doubt that if she was actually there he'd be itching to throttle her within hours. He remembered her blatant disregard for his authority, other than that one moment with Kouga, and from all reports she'd only grown far more independent and disrespectful over the following years.

His musings were interrupted as the mountains the column had been racing towards for hours began to come clearly into view, allowing him to see the small pathway leading to the manor that he had chosen to stay at for the next few months. It was his favorite; his father had brought in the most skilled architects and craftsmen, both human and demon, to design and build it. The materials had all been imported from the finest forests and quarries Japan had to offer. The construction went painstakingly slow; his father demanding nothing less than perfection.

And the result had been breathtaking.

His father had chosen a small plateau jutting out from the side of the largest mountain in the West to build the house and the craftsman had carved out a large section of the mountainside in order to widen the plateau to a decent size. They had somehow managed to maintain the natural look of the mountainside despite the magnitude of rock they carved away on top of building a house that harmonized perfectly with the surrounding scenery. The architects had captured all the majesty of the mountains and the natural beauty of the surrounding forests, all while maintaining the traditional Japanese style that his father had favored.

The location had been masterfully selected as well. The view was incredible; one could see the land stretched out in front of them for miles. The nighttime view was just as good; the elevation and thin air causing the starry sky to shine more clearly than anywhere else in Japan. But it was at it's best during dusk when the sun was setting, the manor's westward facing giving it a front row seat to the most marvelous display of colors that Sesshoumaru had ever seen.

Not only was the house a work of art, but it was also incredibly practical. The house was nestled away from the edge of the cliff against the side of the mountain making it impossible to see from the ground. The cliff face was nearly impossible to scale making the only route up to the manor a narrow, winding path that was constantly watched. If necessary, a small force could defend against a veritable army in any one of the bottle-necked passages along the way. When combined with the extreme array of protective wards surrounding the building, it was nigh invincible.

Which was precisely what the Inu no Taishou had wanted for the house of his human paramour.

Sesshoumaru winced at the irony of using it as a haven for his own human companion.

That wasn't the only reason he had decided to spend the next several months here however. The manor was small and only had a few guest rooms designated visiting nobles. The out of the way location would do even more to limit the stream of incessant visitors that he had had as of late. He almost always operated out of here during the latter parts of the year. There were always far fewer conflicts to mediate once the summer heat started to wane, for some strange reason most youkai refrained from going to war in the winter. And with the need for the extra space gone, there wasn't any reason for him to stay at the primary manor. Anybody who needed to reach him here could and his spies could contact him just as easily here as they could there.

The moment the column reached the path it was as if all weariness fell away. They raced upwards, managing the twists and turns with practiced ease. Sesshoumaru had to suppress a small grin; he was eager to see Rin and his mens' excitement was surprisingly infectious. They finally slowed as they emerged onto the plateau before coming to a halt in front of the sprawling grounds. His momentary elation at being home disappeared as he saw an obviously panicked Jaken running towards him from the grounds.

Dismissing his men, Sesshoumaru barely managed to avoid unseemly haste as he moved to intercept the small youkai. As soon as Jaken was within earshot, he started babbling incoherently between gasping breaths causing Sesshoumaru to stifle an irritated growl, "Slow down."

Jaken paused just long enough to slow his breathing. "My lord, Rin's been kidnapped."

* * *

**Quick notes for this chapter:**

**1. **I apologize for having this up later than I had hoped, but the last two weeks have been something straight out of hell. The less said about them, the better.

**2.** Because of the above, I'm afraid that I haven't put as much effort into this chapter as I normally would have either. So while it's been cut it's still unpolished. So if you see any bad grammar or spelling errors I may have missed, any incongruities or inconsistencies in the story, etc. please let me know and I'll correct them. I'll probably go back through it again once things have taken a turn for the better, but I have no idea when that will be. I'll likely have some real comments on the chapter at that time as well.

**3.** I'd like to thank the anonymous reviewer from last chapter for your commentary on original characters. They were surprisingly well-thought out and I have no doubts that I will put them to good use in the future. Something also gave me the sense that Mary Sue's might be a particular pet peeve of yours; not entirely sure what. Regardless, they were appreciated.

**ロ **If any of ya'll have any other thoughts on the story, please let me know. This story is as much for your entertainment as it is my edification. Your input is greatly appreciated and will be given the consideration it deserves.

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Published on: 10.31.08 (5:55 pm)

Updated on: -

Date of Original Posting: -

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Jak


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